‘The Show Has Evolved With Our Friendship’: Sharon Osbourne & Sara Gilbert On Season 8 Of ‘The Talk’

This week marks the premiere of the 8th season of The Talk. Fresh off the heels of a Daytime Emmy Award win in May, Sharon Osbourne and Sara Gilbert, who host the show with Julie Chen and Sheryl Underwood, sat down with CBS Local to talk about how the show has evolved over the years, the importance of engaging with fans, and what we can expect from the show this season.

This week is the 8th season premiere of The Talk. Eight seasons is a long time to be on the air. Can you talk about how the show has evolved over the years and what we can expect this season?

Sara Gilbert: I think the show has evolved with our friendship. The show is so centered on that and the bond we have with each other and with our viewers. There’s a natural evolution of getting deeper and closer in that friendship. What we can expect this season is more of us, more of our stories, more personal feelings, and just a sense of authenticity. We always try to bring our true selves to the table.

You two, Julie and Sheryl all bring something unique to the show. You have a great group dynamic. I understand that this season you’re starting off with a rotating roster of guest cohosts. How will that affect the group dynamic? Will it take a little adjusting, or are the diverse perspectives what The Talk is all about in the first place?

Sharon Osbourne: I think it’s the diversity that’s so exciting. To have guys here for the first week co-hosting with us — we’ve never had a week of guys co-hosting before. It’ll be a new dynamic and it’ll be exciting. It’s different for us.

SG: Over the years, people have had to miss work, so we’ve had many, many days with guest co-hosts. So that’s not an unusual scenario for us or something that we’re not used to. I think there’s an added excitement knowing that we have an open chair. We’ll have our eye on who feels like the best fit.

The Talk won a Daytime Emmy back in May, which is very exciting. When you win an award like a Daytime Emmy, does that put the pressure on at the start of a new season, or is it just about focusing on that natural chemistry that makes The Talk magical in the first place.

SO: It’s fantastic when you receive a prestigious award like an Emmy. It’s an incredible feeling. But we can do what we do every season, it doesn’t change what we do. It’s great for our egos, but it doesn’t change the nucleus of the show.

SG: Yeah, and I think if you went around chasing awards, you’d be a pretty miserable person because you’re going to win sometimes and you’re not going to win a lot of the time. It’s really just about the connection to the show, the connection to the audience, and doing the best that you can.

The Talk sometimes features posts and comments from fans on Twitter, Instagram and other social media. Is engaging fans through social media an important part of the show for you guys?

SG: Yeah, I think we love hearing what people say. We love including it on our show. I personally love just looking out at our audience, seeing them scream things or say their opinions. A lot of times it’s in line with things we have to say. Sometimes it’s exciting when the audience has a completely different reaction than what you think they’re going to say and how you feel. So I love that energy of what people are feeling and thinking.

SO: And I just think that in the world we live in today, social media is so important. You get the bad, the good and the ugly comments. And it’s all great because you have to take the bad on board with the good remarks. It’s great to be able to get a feel from your audience.